Denver Nuggets vs Miami Heat Prediction: Combined starting 5 featuring Nikola Jokic and Bam Adebayo
NBA MVP candidate Nikola Jokic and his Denver Nuggets will visit the AmericanAirlines Arena to face the Miami Heat on Wednesday.
The Nuggets struggled to start the season but look dominant right now after a 9-3 stretch. Meanwhile, health has been the main concern for the Heat, as two of their best players, Jimmy Butler and Tyler Herro, have only played 6 and 10 games, respectively.
The status of both Butler (health and safety protocol) and Herro (neck injury) is day-to-day, and the Miami Heat desperately need them to steer their season in the right direction. The Heat are currently at 6-10 and own the third-worst record of the NBA's Eastern Conference.
In their most recent games, the Denver Nuggets beat the Dallas Mavericks, while the Miami Heat fell to the stacked Brooklyn Nets.
Denver Nuggets vs Miami Heat Prediction: Combined starting 5
Nikola Jokic has easily been the best player for the Denver Nuggets in the 2020-21 NBA season and is a sure candidate for the NBA MVP award, though it is still too early in the campaign. However, he will have a difficult task against Miami Heat's Bam Adebayo on Wednesday.
In this piece, we will create a combined starting five with the players available on the Denver Nuggets and Miami Heat rosters.
Point Guard - Jamal Murray (Denver Nuggets)
Canadian point guard Jamal Murray has been a superstar for the Denver Nuggets since the 2020 NBA Playoffs, and his presence is huge for Michael Malone's team.
He was ejected in the previous game against the Dallas Mavericks for striking Dallas' Tim Hardaway Jr. in the private area.
Still, Murray is the team's second-leading scorer with an average of 19.3 points per game. He also ranks second in the team in assists per game, with 4.3 per appearance.
Shooting Guard - Duncan Robinson (Miami Heat)
Duncan Robinson put up the Miami Heat's franchise record for three-pointers made last year with 270 converted.
This season, the shooting guard has continued his long-range prowess and remains an essential piece for Erik Spoelstra's puzzle.
Last year, Robinson made 270 threes in 73 appearances (3.7 per game). In the 2020-21 NBA season, he has made 57 threes in 16 appearances for an average of 3.6 per game.
The guard is averaging 14 points per game and has made 45% of his field goals and 42% of his three-pointers.